I have been fortunate that the lack of Monday games saved me from having to comment during this recent period of dreck. It has been a time when seemingly the irrational happened. Hope began to seem more like the perverted notion of hope arising from the alternative view of Pandora’s box (frequently highlighted on Braves Journal in its formative years).
In considering these times over the past few days I hoped the Braves would win last night so that my concept used here would not be routinely stupid.
The Greatest Athlete I Ever Saw (GAIES) I only ever saw on television or in still pictures in newspapers. I have seen many great athletes in person (Herschel Walker, Julius Erving, Henry Aaron, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, to name a few and Herschel from the end zone watching him launch 15 yards from me to 7 feet off the ground, level). But none of them had the level of accomplishment of the GAIES. I had considered this Braves team as a potentially elite great all time MLB team. If Strider and Acuna were healthy, we all would think that reasonable. And, if this Braves team were such an all time great team, we wouldn’t be sitting here suffering on this.
The GAIES showed signs of such greatness often. Over and over the GAIES had amazing performances. But, at the same time there was a sense that there was a level of true dominance that we had not seen. Thus the connection to this Braves team. Maybe in the last few days we have seen signs of the dominance we had not seen.
The GAIES had a brother who was also a great athlete. When his brother was fully mature, the GAIES was just entering puberty. But the chest of the GAIEs was already bigger. There was danger of injury if the GAIES were to push too hard.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, the GAIES was a horse. He had an official name of Secretariat, but his friends knew him as “Big Red.” After winning the Kentucky Derby in a record time (which is still the record), he won the Preakness. Understanding that Kentucky Derby record is to compare to Bob Beamon’s long jump “leap beyond compare.” Beamon jumped 29 feet in 1968 and it was around 20 years before it was bettered. But Big Red’s record is over twice that old.
After all of these accomplishments, Big Red was coming out of the gate at Belmont and lagging a little behind, as was his practice. He kind of played the role of “the Freeze.” Let them get a lead and run them down. He was starting on the longest race journey he would ever run. His father and the horses born to his father were believed to be great sprinters, but “Bold Ruler’s can’t go the distance.”
So, Ronnie Turcotte knew this was the last big race Big Red would ever run. For one of the few times ever, he touched Big Red with the whip. Then, he said “Let’s go boy.” Then, that greatness believed, but not yet fully seen, emerged. Within 300 yards, Big Red had taken the lead, but more than half of the race was left. Would he get tired and end up NOT winning? Despite the surge, Ronnie never pulled Big Red back. The race call continued to say “Secretariat by 12 lengths, Secretariat by 15 lengths” and then mid way of the last turn, “secretariat by 31 lengths, Secretariat is moving like a mighty machine.” And the pace did not slow to the finish line. A Belmont record time, which is also still a record. This son of Bold Ruler had “gone the distance.”
So, what does that have to do with the 2024 Braves? I think (and hope) that AA has built this team to “go the distance.” When you trail around the starting area, it doesn’t mean much. It matters where you finish.
So, back to last night. Again, this successor to one of the greatest offensive teams in MLB history was carried by pitching. When the other side scores 1, you win about 90% of the time. Max Fried was for the most part his Maximus self. :”for the most part” because he wobbled a little. After 2 outs in the 4th, he let the bases get loaded, but got a ground out to get out of the inning without giving up any runs.
Meanwhile, Reese Olson of North Hall High School in Gainesville, pitched 70 miles from home at an extraordinary level. 6 IP, 8 K, 0 BB, 4 H, 0 R. Wow! So, the Tigers got it going on 3 straight reaching base in the 6th with one run in. Snit brought in Jesse Chavez with one out and 2 on and Uncle Jesse came through again.
Well, in inning 7, Austin Riley doubled and came home on a Forrest Wall single. Tie game.
The pen continued to put up goose eggs with Daysbel Hernandez and Joe Gimenez each getting one inning. Then, in bottom of 8, with 2 outs Ozzie Albies homered to right and this one ended 2 to 1 on the right side of history.
So, Braves, you are moving up on the outside of the field, and all Braves Journal Land has said “Let’s go boy.”
Post-season, Pennant, World Series… Triple Crown?
Pros:
• Riley with two more XBHs; let’s hope he’s at the beginning of one of his patented summertime hot streaks
• Chavez continues to defy logic and be incredible only while playing in a Braves uniform
• Braves had 11 batted ball events that were considered hard hit
Cons:
• Duvall with another barreled out; he’s been quite unlucky in that regard this season
Great recap, Cliff. Thank you.
Go Braves.
Chavez is long past Francisco Cabrera / Tyler Matzek level. If he comes in the bar, his drink AND his steak better be on the house anywhere in Braves Country.
Nice writeup. Let’s hope this team can finish strong.
Awesome recap, cliff, thank you! Go Braves!
Love the reference to that Belmont run. If y’all have never seen it, even if you don’t care a thing about horse racing, it is legit remarkable to watch.
And part of what makes that call so compelling, in addition just the dang beauty of it (“he is moving like a tremendous machine” is just untouchable ad-libbed sports commentary, imo) is you can tell the announcer is processing something in real-time that he has never seen before, and cannot quite comprehend.
It was before my time, but one of the wildest parts of the Secretariat story is that Sham, the horse he beat out, was a hell of a horse, too— even though he lost the Ky. Derby to Secretariat, Sham’s Derby time remains the second-fastest ever on record, beating out every other Derby winner, ever. Any other year he would have gone down as an all-timer. He just happened to be matched up against a freak of nature.
Actually, both of those horses were, in fact, freaks of nature. The average thoroughbred’s heart weighs about 7 pounds. Sham’s weighed 19.5 at his death. There was no exact measure on Secretariat, but it was believed to be over 20.
It is now known that it is a rare genome that travels on the mother’s line. Penny Chenery’s Dad selected the mare he thought could help a Bold Ruler go the distance.